Class 6A Football - Previewing each of the eight regions

Ahead of the 2025 season, I will be previewing every single team in Class 6A. Every team from down south in Valdosta to those metro Atlanta and each program in between. Each region will be its own article, this article will cover each of the teams in Region 1 – Richmond Hill, Lowndes, Colquitt County and Camden County

Richmond Hill

2024 season -- 7-3 (2-3 5th in region) Key Losses: Joshua Troupe, Gabe Bauman, Lee Johnson

Richmond Hill has been making steady progress over the past few years. Last season, the Wildcats won seven games, the program's most since 2020.

However, Richmond Hill is dealing with the loss of many key stars. Their leading rusher Joshua Troupe ran for over 1300 yards, graduated. Finding a replacement for him will be difficult. They will also have to deal with the losses of their three leading tacklers.

Powell’s player to watch for Richmond Hill is Amire Miller. Miller comes in as the Troupe replacement at running back. Miller ran for 252 yards last season but will get a much bigger role this season. Miller recently picked up his first offer from Arkansas State.

Richmond Hill opens its season against Glynn Academy. That is the first of three straight home games to open the season. The next two are versus Everglades and New Hampstead. Its first three home games are then countered by a three-game road test (only two are non-region games), starting at Wayne County and then at Bucholz (FL).

Region play starts by finishing the three-game road stand at Tift County. Richmond Hill is back in action following a bye against Camden County (home). The Wildcats return to the road to take on Valdosta and end the season with two home games, versus Lowndes and Colquitt County.

Lowndes

2024 season -- 10-2 (4-1 second in region) Key losses: Marvis Parrish, Aalim Brown, Jaylin Carter

Lowndes returns one of the best rosters in the entire state. The Vikings fell in the second round to eventual semi-finalist Buford 42-7 last year.

They will have to deal with the loss of two 800-yard rushers (Parrish and Brown).

Head Coach Adam Carter returns for his 3rd season after joining from his title winning time at Grayson.

Carter’s Vikings hold a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, however, Powell’s player to watch for Lowndes is quarterback Jayce Johnson. The 2027 standout threw for 1799 yards last season and 16 touchdowns in 2024. He was recently named quarterback MVP at the Rivals Camp in Atlanta. Johnson has since been named a 4-star by most recruiting services and is ranked as high as a top five quarterback in his class (Rivals).

Lowndes opens up 2025 at home as they take on Jenkins. They will continue to host the rest of their first five games against Mt. Zion, Central Gwinnett, Manatee, and Kell.

The Vikings will open and close region play in what will likely be its two biggest games of the season. Starting off with their first road test against Colquitt County, and closing at Valdosta in the Winnersville Classic. In between, they take on Tift County on October 3rd (home), followed by a game at Camden County. After a bye, Lowndes will take on the challenge of Richmond Hill (away) before ending the season like previously mentioned at Valdosta.

Colquitt County

2024 season -- 8-4 (4-1 first in region) Key losses: Day’shawn Brown, Ra’Quavian Kinsey, Jartavius Flounoy

Colquitt County returns in 2025 looking to make another run at a state championship. The three-time state champs are entering year four with head coach Sean Calhoun, who has won the region title every year he has been the head coach.

“We have to get lined up correctly, get the call, play fast and physically. We must be good tacklers and play at our best when our best is required, for four quarters or however long it takes,” coach Calhoun responded on what Colquitt has to do to counter the elite offenses of some of the other teams in the region.

Colquitt runs an old-fashioned offense. Led by a smash-mouth style of football, Colquitt can win games in low and high-scoring fashion.

Colquitt County’s player to watch is senior running back Jae Lamar. Lamar was the team's second-leading rusher last season with 885 yards to go along with 11 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught eight passes for 172 yards and two scores for a total of over 1000 all-purpose yards. Lamar is listed as a 4-star.

Colquitt will start 2025 at home against Benedictine and follow it up against Monroe. They will follow that up by traveling to North Gwinnett and Lee County, two teams they lost to last season. Colquitt will end its non-region schedule versus Rickards (Florida).

Region play begins September 26th against Lowndes and Valdosta October 3rd. After those two, Colquitt will host Tift County and then Camden County. Its final game will be away at Richmond Hill.

Camden County

2024 season -- 7-4 (2-3 fourth in region) Key losses: Elyiss Williams, Jordan Hardy, Wayne Austell

In 2023, Camden County made a run from a fourth seed to the state semi-finals. Despite a down 2024, Camden looks to build off of that in 2025.

Legendary coach Jeff Heron was the coach in 2023 but was replaced last season by Travis Roland.

In his first year, Roland had big wins over Brunswick and Richmond Hill.

However, North Cobb stopped Camden in its tracks 28-7.

Camden’s player to watch is linebacker Xavier Brown. Brown played a big role in Camden’s 2024 season, recording 129 total tackles, nine TFLs, and two blocked field goals. He holds a few division one offers. Brown is a rising senior in 2025.

Camden will host their first 6 games of the season, including every non-region game. Those games include Brunswick, East Lake (FL), West Broward (FL), Ribault (FL), Royal Palm Beach (FL), and beginning region play versus Valdosta.

Other than Valdosta, the Wildcats region schedule includes going to Richmond Hill, back at home versus Lowndes, at Colquitt, and finally at Tift County.

Tift County

2024 season -- 2-8 (0-5 sixth in region) Key losses: Danny Freeman, Jaden Nelson, Matthew Layfield

Tift County are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021 with second-year coach Jeff Littleton.

Littleton defeated his old team, Bainbridge, 17-14 last season in arguably Tift’s best game. Running back Kamari Holloman ran for 125 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Tift’s player to watch is the previously mentioned Kamari Holloman. The senior running back ran for 573 yards last season and 6 touchdowns. He also had 145 receiving yards. Holloman recently competed at the Rivals camp.

Tift will begin their 2025 season versus Griffin, followed up by a visit from Gadsen County (FL). Its next three games will all be super important (not that the others are not). First, traveling to Lee County, then back at home against Bainbridge, and finishing out non-region play against Houston County.

Its region schedule begins versus Richmond Hill on September 26th. Then Tift will take on the four heavy-hitters, starting at Lowndes, then at Colquitt, versus Valdosta, and wrapping up their season versus Camden.

Valdosta

2024 season -- 9-3 (3-2 third in region) Key losses: Todd Robinson, Eli Lewis,

Valdosta is arguably the most historic team in all of Georgia. Nick-named “Titletown,” the Wildcats dominated the 80s and 90s with 11 region titles, seven state titles, and three national titles from 1978-1992. However, since the turn of the century, Valdosta has only won two region championships since 2004 (although they did win state in 2016)!

Shelton Felton is back for year number five with the Wildcats. He has been to the playoffs three of the four years he has been the coach.

Felton will have to deal with the loss of star quarterback Todd Robinson. Robinson threw for over 2000 yards and 22 touchdowns last season to go along with another 538 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Valdosta’s player to watch is Prince Jean. Jean is a 3-star receiver who had over 600 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Jean was also a first-team all-region selection. Jean holds over 25 offers from all around the country.

“I want to have over 1,000 yards, win a region championship, and make a run for the state championship,” Jean affirmed.

Valdosta starts off its 2025 season versus Tucker on August 15th. They will continue to host their next four games against Mundy’s Mill, Dougherty, Jesuit (FL), and South Gwinnett.

Region play kicks off at Camden County September 26th and another road trip to Colquitt County October 3rd. They return home to face Richmond Hill the next week. The Wildcats final away game is at Tift County following a bye week. They close out their regular season by playing host to Lowndes in the Winnersville Classic on Halloween.

Final Predictions

1 Lowndes

2 Colquitt County

3 Valdosta

4 Camden County

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